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It’s that time of year! Fall is here with all its cozy comforts… and that includes spiced cocktails, of course! Thanks to the American Cocktail Company, my cocktail dreams came true when I was given the honor of creating my own custom #TanayasTable cocktail box for this month only. In fact it’s so limited edition, that TODAY is the last day to order it!

I’m thankful that the response was so great thus far that the box SOLD OUT early on, and now it’s in the second round of production! If you’ve been following me on social media, you got the news early – plus the behind the scenes scoop! American Cocktail Company makes all their products with the finest quality and puts great care into every step of the process, from sourcing, to packaging, to having the box delivered right to your doorstep with free shipping. I’m very discerning with whom I work with, and going forward with this collaboration was an easy decision for me!

This is my first branded product, internationally available on such a grand scale, and it ships anywhere in the US & Canada. I put my heart into perfecting the recipe for the Gin Berry Blush, with help from my wonderful friend Kendra, and I’m so excited to share it with you all! You can read the interview they did on me here, and order the box (scroll down to the “subscribe” button — you can cancel your subscription at any time, or order it as a gift — they do make great holiday gifts!) using the 10% off discount code TANAYA10 here.

As for my inspiration in creating this unique cocktail, I wanted to capture the essence of the changing seasons… from summer blueberries to a pinch of cardamom – to invoke the warmth of fall spices, and as a nod to my Indian heritage. I love that the Blueberry Finn American Juice Company mixer has a hint of apple and almond as well, which really rounds out the flavor profile.

I’m also fond of floral notes, especially rose. It reminds me of my mom, who was my best friend and confidant. She loved roses, and the scent takes me back to childhood memories with her, gardening together in our backyard. So I added rose syrup, which gives the drink a bit of sweetness and some more dimension. With a squeeze of lime juice for a fresh kick, the end result is a multi-layered, refreshing cocktail perfect for a holiday gift, a cozy staycation, or a fall party with friends. You can order it as a cocktail or even a mocktail (without the liquor; you can either add your own or leave it out if you’re not into alcohol).

In honor of my mom, I’m also donating 25% of my portion of the proceeds to the Breast Cancer Solutions Foundation. I think it’s especially fitting that it also happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I hope you enjoy this cocktail, and I can’t wait to hear what you think! Cheers to you all for being so wonderful, and for all the support along this journey filled with all kinds of highs and lows. It warms my heart to share these meaningful projects with you all, and to hear back from you as well!

You know the main reason I was so excited to attend the Knott’s Berry Farm media preview a couple days ago? It’s because I pass it on my way to the gym EVERY DAY. Well, every day I go to the gym, that is ;).

Although I really love my MMA kickboxing class, every time I pass by Knott’s I kind of secretly wish I were going there instead. I mean, who wouldn’t pick a theme park over the gym, right? What a tease.

I was also excited because I LOVE boysenberry, and I geek out over creative ways to incorporate a particular ingredient into a variety of sweet and savory dishes. The chefs at Knott’s executed that concept very well, with over 70 boysenberry-infused bites of theme park gastronomical glee. Here’s a glimpse into some of the bites you can expect to taste, along with more in this video:

So yes, that Fun Bun is indeed a gigantic cinnamon roll dipped in funnel cake batter and deep fried… then slathered in boysenberry cream cheese! It was absolutely gooey and delicious on the inside, with a nice tanginess to the cream smothered on the outside. I highly recommend getting one and sharing… or not!

Whether you love roller coaster thrills or not, if you’re a foodie thrill-seeker you’ll appreciate the crispy alligator bites with a creamy boysenberry aioli to dip your reptile nuggets into. Check them out in the video, and shoutout to my buddy Nick of @grubfiend for being my alligator hand model and dropping some funnel cake “knowledge” in there.

I decided to try the gator bites on Snapchat (find me at TanayasTable) with a couple of my foodie friends, Yohana of @foodnvibes and Naomi of @xodaydreamers, with Brenda filming! The conclusion we came to is that it does taste like chicken, but it has a chewier texture. So I suppose you could say it tastes like if a chicken and a squid had a baby… and then you ate that baby?! Ah, never mind! Well you know what I mean, right? 😉

Other bites we tried (ALL in the video above) include boysenberry BBQ short ribs, boysenberry BBQ meatballs on a stick, pulled pork sandwich with boysenberry bread & BBQ sauce, and the Fun Stick… which is a slice of creamy boysenberry cheesecake on a stick, dipped in funnel cake batter and slathered with boysenberry sauce. SO GOOD!

Meet the Fun Stick: Funnel-cake battered boysenberry cheesecake on a stick. How adorable is that Snoopy topiary in the back??

In addition to food, we also got to taste boysenberry beer, wine and other libations. If you decide to go, please let me know what you think of all the berry-infused drinks and bites. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Not only did I have a blast photographing, filming and tasting all the boysenberry things, but I enjoyed doing all of the above with my foodie friends.

To find out more and to attend the Boysenberry Festival this year, go here. Wishing you a *berry* wonderful spring season… ha ha. Stay tuned for lots more food adventures to come!

It’s that time of year! Food festivals are in full swing, and it’s your turn to get in on the gastronomic fun. Check out the details below on how you can enter to win a pair of tickets to this year’s epic Orange County Fair!

First, if you needed a reason (or many deep-fried reasons) to go this year, it’s all right here below. I was lucky enough to get an invite to check out the most unique new foods at the OC Fair, and let me tell you… you’re in for a treat! Check it out:

One of my favorites is the deep-fried pickle stuffed with peanut butter, which works surprisingly well thanks to the tartness of the pickle, the creamy sweet-saltiness of the peanut butter, and the fluffy batter surrounding it all.

If you’re looking for a more substantial meal, try the Cubano Fusion Burger from Tasti Chips. It’s filled with savory goodness and is layered with texture and flavor.

Speaking of dessert, you see that caviar-topped Twinkie in the video, right? Although a $125 caviar Twinkie might sound a little crazy — or a even a lot crazy — it’s all for charity. If you have the means, the heart and the curiosity to try it, I highly encourage you to do so, because all proceeds go to CHOC – Children’s Hospital of Orange County. You can find this bite at Chicken Charlie’s.

Other unique new items you’ll find this year include Kool-Aid brined pickles, Wasabi Bacon Bombs, Frosted Flakes chicken strips, bacon-wrapped pork belly on a stick, and even a gigantic funnel cake burger.

As for the more classic battered and deep-fried innovations, try the the deep-fried Starbucks, deep-fried birthday cake or the Australian Battered Potatoes with their special Outback sriracha sauce.

There’s also a deep-fried SlimFast, for those who prefer a side of irony along with their fair food.

Bottom line is, there’s something for everyone. Unless you’re on a raw diet, of course. Now, how do you win?

Here are two ways to win your pair of tickets:

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram (@tanayas.table) so I can direct message you to redeem your prize

Comment on the image with the Krispy Kreme triple cheeseburger (yep, there’s that too!) saying why you want to win, and tag whom you want to take

Entry closes at noon on Sunday, 7/26. This is a flash giveaway, so act fast and spread the word so if your friend wins, they’ll (hopefully) take you! 😉

Wait for the winner (chosen at random, to keep it fair… since I want you all to win!) to be announced that same afternoon. Good luck!

Twitter

Follow me on Twitter (@TanayaG) so I can direct message you to redeem your prize

Retweet this tweet to enter to win, and reply to the tweet tagging whom you’d want to take with you

Entry closes at noon on Sunday, 7/26. This is a flash giveaway, so act fast and spread the word so if your friend wins, they’ll (hopefully) take you! 😉

Wait for the winner (chosen at random, to keep it fair… since I want you all to win!) to be announced that same afternoon. Good luck!

Also, heads up – there’s another foodie event giveaway coming up very soon!

You can get your tickets to the OC Fair here, or enter on Instagram or Twitter (see above for entry rules) to win!

On a quick side note, I’m about to go abroad and cover a month of food and travel in Hong Kong and India to share with you all. The Tanaya’s Travels section will be in full effect soon!

Check out what you can expect to come by visiting the travel section here, or from the navigation bar on the left. Also feel free to follow my travels on Twitter and Instagram to see the photos and videos while I’m on the road. I’d love to have you join me virtually!

UPDATE on 7/2: The episode aired and it was so fun to re-live our day of filming with my peers in the LA food media scene, as well as Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot, Christina Tosi and standout MasterChef personalities like Leslie Gilliams, Ahran Cho and Daniel McGuffey (pictured below).

The scenery was gorgeous, and the food was scrumptious. The black rice underneath the Moroccan spiced duck really took me back to my adventures in Bali, where I discovered my love for this delicious grain. Thanks to my wonderful family and friends for tuning in, sharing with me their excitement, and for the unconditional support you have given me throughout this journey so far. As I continue growing, I know I can do it with you guys by my side. Love you all!

—— Original Post ——

Hi guys! Just a quick note, in case any of you watch MasterChef… I will be on tonight’s episode, airing at 8pm PST on FOX.

Why, you ask? I was fortunate enough to be invited as a “VIP diner” in the food scene to taste and critique the food from the teams. I will have a few seconds of sharing my opinions on the duck, according to my friend Jonathan, who is on the East Coast and therefore saw it earlier!

Hanging out with MasterChef alum Daniel McGuffey on set a few months ago in Palos Verdes!

So grateful for the opportunity. It was such a fun experience to be in Palos Verdes with Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot, Christina Tosi and my fellow food media friends at such a beautiful location near the Trump National Golf Club.

Enjoy, if you get a chance to tune in… and met let me know what you think. Until next time, cheers! ❤